Hello lovely people. If you are in London or nearby, you will be no doubt basking in the glorious autumn sunshine, lapping up those final few rays the year has to offer. Freaky it may be but heck, smile and enjoy it is what I say. I was at a delightful baby shower last weekend and the toddlers present were completely transfixed and overjoyed by a balloon. Just a balloon. Nothing fancy. Nothing pricey. Just a good old fashioned balloon. Here are a few balloon based treats.

1. Normal balloons

For around a good honest English pound you can get a packet of balloons and keep those wee bairns occupied for hours. Play keepy-uppy. Draw faces on them. Use them to fashion a papier mache bumble bee. Tie them all together in a bundle and take some whimsical photos. Fill them with lentils or rice, blow them up and make a shake-a-shaker...endless possibilities! It just goes to show, young whippersnappers, that Mummy and Daddy don't need to spend a pretty packet to keep you all amused!

2. Knitted hot air balloons

OK, so your name might have to be Martha Stewart to succesfully rustle up these little beauties but I couldn't resist! I want these for my own house! If you are fortunate enough to have been touched with the crafty wand, snag a knitting pattern fromButterfly Rose on Etsy and get those needles a-twitching.However, if you can't knit for toffee you can quickly become the proud owner of a whole, fully made one from the same, lovely Etsy shop. What would we do without Etsy eh?

3. Gigantic balloons

Ooooh what a belter! Imagine filling a room with massive balloons. The kids would go crazy!Geronimo is a brilliant website that provides huge balloons for every occasion because 'balloons are to be taken serious– seriously happy. And should make you feel special, because…. you are!' I couldn't agree more balloonatics. Get ready for some almighty POPS!

4. Balloon mobile

The craft bell is a-ringing once again folks. This time a little paper craft for you. I stumbled across this hot air balloon mobile on Brown Accents and think it's pretty nifty.You could even make bunting from them and have lots of wee hot air balloons strewn across the nursery. Imagine all the stories you could concoct about where they fly off to at night and who they pick up on their way. You could even number them and sneak in a bit of schooling too! Sshhh!

5. Ice cream balloons

The clever cloggs brigade at Craftzine mustered up this super simple but super effective idea and I love it. Ice cream balloons! Yes. You heard me correctly people! Just take some brown paper, roll into a cone and attach to the bottom of a helium filled balloon. The perfect ingredient at any children's party! Although it's probably worth mentioning you can't actually eat them... you never know... some people have eyes and dreams bigger than their stomachs.